


The World Is Dark

by ViterWrites



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Ten Candles Tribute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 11:55:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18872713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViterWrites/pseuds/ViterWrites





	The World Is Dark

The truths are these: the world is dark…  
The two walked down the avenue, shocked and unable to process what had happened. No glancing around, the flashlights were always turned to the front, although the dim light they emitted wouldn't be able to protect them. It was barely enough to distinguish the markings on the asphalt.  
Luckily for them, nothing was there. And no one.   
If the batteries were to go out, no one would even know the street wasn't empty: Jas and Thyme were speechless and their movements silent. And so was everything around, as no one dared turn the light on and give away their location. Keeping quiet in the dark kilike you don't exist was a much more viable strategy.  
Even so, the duo wasn't wandering hopelessly. They were headed for the giant source of light farther down the lane, the place Terry told everyone about. The shelter.  
They were headed for the only safe haven in the entire Hoquevery, located in the Central Square, right in front of the main tourist trap - the Zelimoh Cathedral.  
Once they stopped needing the flashlights, Jas whispered:

\- We’ve almost made it. Soon… we shall be safe.  
\- We might be, sure, - growled Thyme.  
Jasmine sighed:  
\- Thy… I know that the last few hours were a trip and a half, but, - she didn’t get to finish.  
\- Don’t you dare call me that. Not after what you’ve done.  
\- What? How am I guilty?  
\- Oh, how could I make such a mistake, I apologize. Of course, Terry staged his own death and absolutely no one else was involved. How thoughtless of me to assume that you, the only one of us except for Terry himself who could actually carry that out, were involved, - Thyme didn’t even glance at her and kept striding onward.  
\- Quit being sarcastic, - Jas’s voice hardened. - If you knew Terry as well as you claim to, you'd know what he’s capable of.   
\- If I am to quit being sarcastic, you are to quit spewing lies.   
\- How is that a lie? It’s the only was we could escape Her!   
\- It’s the only way you could escape- Her? Who are you even talking about?   
\- Let’s keep marching on, - she sped up, but Thyme grabbed her by the arm:  
\- Oh no, I’m not buying that. Who. Is. Her. - Thyme frowned, with visible pain and anger in his expression. Jas sighed, but gave in:  
\- The Witch.  
\- Tell the truth, - Thyme snapped, frowning even more.  
\- The Witch! The one the legends tell to stay away from! And she’s-  
\- And you knew the whole time?! And kept your mouth shut! - he roared with anger. - So I was right to call you a traitor! When you could’ve stopped Them with what you knew, you chose stay silent!  
\- I know just as much as you. They fear the light. Everything that could be done. Was. Done. - she caught her breath and continued. - Drop it and move so we can find safety!  
\- You denied them safety! And for that you will find none either! - with a quick movement of hand, Thyme reached into the holster, pulled out his pistol and pointed it at Jasmine’s forehead.  
\- All right, all right. What do you want? - said she in one breath.  
\- Take out your weapon. And if I see your finger on the trigger, you’re dead.  
\- Okay, okay, here, - she slowly unsheathed her gun.   
Now, put it on the ground and slide it to me with your boot.  
\- What? Going to leave me defenseless?  
\- Oh, you’ll be fine, you have a flashlight. “They fear the light”, - quoted he. - Am I correct?  
Her eyes widened, but she stayed silent, still holding her gun by the muzzle.  
\- Oh, what's wrong, have you swallowed your tongue? Well, can't help ya. - he shrugged with a snigger and for a brief moment moved the pistol away from her head. - - I'm waiti-  
That was more than enough for his opponent to act. Jas released the gun, catched it with her right hand, pointed it at the pavement and pressed the trigger - all in the span of mere seconds. The desired effect was achieved: Thyme was startled and disoriented, and by the time he got back up, Jasmine was gone, as her footsteps echoed in the old streets.  
\- You goddamn! - shouted he upon coming back to senses, but immediately shut his mouth with a palm. Whatever happened, it was still stupid to make noise and attract the hunters.  
He stood there not making a sound for a minute, thinking about what could be done.   
“Too late to confront and shoot her, but… maybe not too late to stop her”, - he wondered. - “Obviously such a large refuge wouldn't be unguarded. There must be soldiers or policemen nearby. But I need to be fast. Hopefully, she didn't win herself too much time”.  
He put away the pistol and sprinted towards the light source. Being a former army officer, he knew he was trained well enough to catch up to and even outrun his foe. As the cathedral grew closer and voices became clearer, he started panting, thus alerting the guards keeping close watch on the darkness. Well, not solely by that. It wasn’t hard to notice a person rapidly emerging from the shadows, and any faint sound there is would just be a confirmation.   
When he was about five hundred metres away from them. one of the guards ordered:  
\- Halt! Who’s there?  
\- Don’t shoot! I’m a citizen!   
\- Walk in our direction slowly, with your arms above your head and palms open! - Thyme followed the orders and was soon approached by a man in the police uniform.  
\- If you have any weapons on you, you will have to part with them, can’t risk you causing a massacre here. Do you? - Thyme held off the answer for a few seconds, but replied with:  
\- No. No I don’t. But there’s someone who does and who is capable of wreaking havoc on this community, - the officer’s eyebrows went up.  
\- What? And who is he?  
\- Not he, she. Jas- no, that name might be fake. Anyway, the witch’s acolyte.  
\- And who is the witch now? - inquired the officer in an indifferent manner, turning his face away from Thyme.  
\- The one who caused the disaster, - even though he stated that as confidently as he possibly could, his overseer was not impressed and continued walking in silence, occasionally glancing in the newcomer’s direction.   
The entire avenue was blocked off with a wall of rubble, stone, sand and metal, with only the old police booth standing out in the centre. On top of the wall, there were a few spotlights facing in different directions, and even more of them behind it. The cabin seemed like the only entry gate.  
As soon as the two arrived at the checkpoint, the guard nodded to his fellow and said:  
\- We have ourselves another messiah, better warn Peyree about his coming.  
\- Will do, - he walked back into the booth. - As for you, Cor, you’d better be thorough with your search.  
\- Search..? - asked Thyme quietly, as a drop of sweat slid down his forehead.   
\- I will, Don’t worry, G, - G smiled and closed the door to the booth behind himself. - Now, as for you…   
\- Are you really going to search me at a time like this?  
\- Yes, take off the clothes up your belt and hand them over for inspection. We didn’t put in so much effort to make this place safe for nothing.   
\- But-  
\- You will be granted access to the square only afterwards. The sooner you get naked, the sooner you’ll proceed, - quipped the soldier.  
Seeing as there was nothing else to pull off, Thyme obeyed him. The procedure took about 10 minutes total, and obviously the pistol and other arms couldn’t slip past the careful guard. As Thyme dared lie to the officials, the full search had to take place, but nothing besides those weapons was found.  
Nights are usually noticeably colder than days, so one would expect the temperature in Hoquevery to drop below zero the same day, but strangely enough, that wasn’t it. Even though the surface didn’t get any sunlight, the temperatures fluctuated as usual, according to the clock, as if nothing was covering the sky.  
Thyme realised that while standing in front of Cor bare-skinned, that he didn’t feel a chill. “It should’ve dawned on me sooner… But how, - wondered he, - how is it possible for - whatever is up there - to block out the light and let the heat through? And most importantly - why? What’s the goal?”   
As the check finished and Thyme was allowed to dress up again, Cor gave him a judging look:  
\- Why’d you lie? Hoped we’d just let you go in? You could’ve made everything so much easier both for me and yourself if you’d just told the truth right there.  
\- Maybe. Maybe not. So, are you going to allow me to enter now? - the officer chuckled:  
\- If I were to make decisions, I wouldn’t. Sadly, I don’t and I’m ordered to let everybody in, after disarming them. So, you get a pass, - sighed he. - Go into the booth.  
It was even tinier on the inside than it looked like from the street. Two doors, two windows, one on each side, and a table with a landline in the middle. G was sitting at that table filling out some form, and as he heard the door open, he invited Thyme with a gesture.  
\- Here, fill in your ID info. Just the basics, shouldn’t take long, - said he, handing over the pen and paper.   
\- So, how’s our lady over there? Prepared? - asked Cor.  
\- She didn’t pick up. In other words, her problem. Well, he doesn’t seem like a lunatic, so it should all be okay,   
\- I’m… still here. You know. If you don’t believe me, fine, I cannot believe it myself, but that monster has to be stopped.  
He finished writing in the info and laid the pen.   
\- How do I get to this… Peyree, you say?  
\- She’s in the house by the cathedral.  
Thyme grunted:  
\- The directions are very specific, aren't they.  
\- It's really harder to describe than to actually get there. Just try not to step on anyone residing in the refuge.  
\- Fine. Can I go now?  
\- Yes. Be aware that we're going to keep an eye on you, especially after what happened earlier.  
\- Mhm.  
Thyme turned the knob and left the booth with silent stares pinned on his back. The square used as shelter was huge, but even so it was badly overcrowded. A lot of people rushed here when They appeared, but even more had been in the cathedral since the very moment the sky went dark. Praying. Although at the moment, the structure was neither lit up on the inside nor did any spotlights shed light upon it.  
As for the square itself… Many, many projectors of all sizes and forms were set up on the walls of rubbish and the buildings, and even a few atop the cathedral itself - all covering each other, so that no creature that fears light could even get close. There were plenty of them, but just enough to cover the territory.  
Finding his way around the endless carpets, rugs and mats, Thyme noticed a group of white-coats in the centre. It was unclear who they were and what they were doing, as the group was sealed off from the others by soldiers. A lot of them. They encircled the supposed scientists and wouldn’t let anybody in, not even those in need. Thyme saw it with his own eyes: one woman tried to get in, the soldier held out an arm and stopped her, she attempted to force her way in and was pushed away. Harshly.   
There were quite a few people wandering aimlessly, but Thyme certainly managed to draw the most attention. He could feel the stares pinned on him: wondering, worrying, annoyed and even irritated stares, he understood it all and just sighed. Wasn’t the first time it happened. The posture gave away the military past, the determined look and hurry usually speak volumes about the situation… Combine those facts and you’ll get a soldier rushing to the command center in an emergency. And that was not even wrong.  
He got to the cathedral in seven minutes and looked around as he was told. There was a small stall right by the wall, but when he got there, he noticed there were no windows, only the heavy metallic door, obviously locked.   
\- Nothing to do but to knock, I guess, - and so he did.  
Soon after someone yawned and walked up to the door.   
\- Password, - said they with another yawn mid-word.  
\- Eh, password? I'm looking for officer Peyree!  
\- I am sorry, the stall is inaccessible to civilians. Hope you have a wonderful d-  
\- Please wait! - the person behind the door sighed.  
\- You have fifteen seconds, - said they firmly.  
\- There could be a dangerous person wandering around the square! She has a gun and-  
\- The weapons are taken away at the entry point. Goo-  
\- A gun and a pistol! She could just declare one and take the other with her and nobody would know. At least, that is what the officers told me!   
\- What? Hold on, they must search everybody, and, - they went silent. - How did the girl look?  
\- Dark hair put together in a ponytail, orange tee and jeans shorts. But she could’ve changed them, that damn-. Although she didn’t seem to have ever taken off two dark bracelets on her wrists, so that should be intact.  
\- Wait here.  
The booth went quiet, but only for about a minute. The walls isolated the sound well, but even so, intense shouting and even swearing could be heard, though faintly. Despite soundproofing, the sheer anger and indignance in their voice was clear and when the lock clicked and the door burst open, Thyme was prepared for the worst.  
In front of him stood a young police officer. Her natural red hair was assembled in a ponytail, much like Jasmine's, with a navy cap on top, and although her uniform was well-worn, it looked decent. Having attached the radio back to the belt, she stormed out the door and gave Thyme a glare:  
\- What are you waiting for? Take out your weapon and follow me.  
\- It's been confiscated by your wardens, - she tossed hers to him.  
The officer went back in, grabbed another handgun and locked the door upon exiting.  
\- She's in the Cathedral and we're not letting her leave. Keep close behind.


End file.
